A magnetic recording layer of a magnetic recording medium, such as an audiotape, a videotape, and a floppy disc, contains a high content (coating amount) of magnetic substance, which results in lack of light-permeability, even though high magnetic output (reading) capability can be attained. Consequently, the magnetic recording layer cannot be applied onto the printing surface of a magnetic card or onto a photographic film. U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,051 describes photographic elements that exhibit excellent magnetic and photographic characteristics, and that are capable of repeated use. A difficulty, however, arises for these photographic elements in that recording and reading of magnetic recording information, such as conditions at the time of development and printing, are not assured, as well as at the time of a repeat usage, incorporated with various information, such as the date of photographing, weather, conditions for illumination, conditions at the time of photographing (e.g. the ratio of reduction to enlargement), the number of leaves for reprinting, an area to be zoomed, and some messages. U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,661 describes photographic elements having a transparent magnetic recording layer which is improved in lubricity and durability. However, the photographic elements were not sufficient for the prevention of head staining and for magnetic input/output capacity.
Further, transparent magnetic layer-related techniques are described in JP-A-4-214217 ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application), JP-A-6-161033, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,496,687, 5,432,050, 5,436,120, and 5,434,037.
In fact, for example, when a magnetic recording medium is used as a photographic element (a photographic light-sensitive material), staining materials (processing deposits), which are, for example, composed of substances resulting from dryness of processing solutions in development, thickly adhere to a magnetic head, and thereby contact between the magnetic head and a magnetic layer is extremely deteriorated, which results in a so-called spacing loss. Further consequently, an error in reading of magnetic records from the magnetic recording medium easily arises. In order to clean up the stained head, abrasives are usually added to a magnetic layer. However, use of the abrasives in the manner hitherto known was not sufficient to prevent or remove the staining materials, which are composed of substances resulting from dryness of processing solutions in development, etc., from adhesion or transfer to the magnetic head. Further, when the amount of the abrasives to be added is too much, or the grain size of the abrasives is too large, a new problem arises that the transparency of the medium is too deteriorated for preferable use for photography, or the expected life span of the magnetic head is shortened. In view of the above, there is a need for the development of substantially transparent magnetic recording media that are assuredly capable of recording and reproducing magnetic information, with little occurrence of the above-mentioned problems.